Trump, a Republican front-runner, and former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley, a Democratic long-shot, were the first two major candidates to file for a primary expected to be slated for February 9, submitting their paperwork Wednesday.

The businessman turned politician drew quite a crowd. The latest polls show a tightening race.

Trump supporters started arriving hours ahead of his arrival and far outnumbered O’Malley’s, but both candidates took the opportunity to critique their opponents — with O’Malley saying Democratic rivals Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton represent “the past.”

“Wow, this is some turnout!” Trump said as he entered the secretary of state’s office, which typically is jammed with members of the media and the public when major candidates sign up. Earlier, Trump was greeted by a large crowd of supporters outside the statehouse.

Compared with other states, it’s relatively cheap and easy to get on the ballot in New Hampshire. Candidates must meet basic requirements to be president, fill out a one-page form and pay a $1,000 filing fee.

“They wanted a cashier’s check,” Trump said. “So this is from a bank that’s not actually as rich as we are.”

Trump also defended himself against previous attacks over his use of eminent domain, pointing out that the Keystone XL pipeline couldn’t have been constricted without it.

Donald Trump unleashed a new barrage of verbal bombs on his prominent GOP rivals on Wednesday, taking his most aggressive pot-shots to date at the surging Sen. Marco Rubio while saying he supports the Election Day defeat of an Ohio ballot initiative that would have legalized marijuana.

He defended the use of eminent domain – the ability of governments to take private property for public use – by pointing to the Keystone XL pipeline, favored by conservatives, as a project that couldn’t be built any other way.

And he told a home-schooled girl that he opposes wind power because fast-spinning turbines are deadly to birds.

His barbs in Rubio’s direction concerned the senator’s immigration policy and his use of a state GOP credit card when he served as Florida’s state assembly speaker.

‘Marco Rubio has a disaster on his finances. He has a disaster on his credit cards,’ Trump told reporters before filing his candidacy papers for February’s New Hampshire primary election at the statehouse in Concord.